Gensokyo Railway Series 17 (Branch Line Engines)
by Pergold
Summary: The branch lines, although not as big as the mainline, were still important for moving people and cargo across Gensokyo's railway network. Things are going well until a diesel railcar shows up. Whilst a ghost works on a project of his.
1. Prologue

The Scarlet Controller and Nitori were at Hakugyokurou with Yukari. Yuyuko Saigayouji had told them that she had met a ghost who might be of service. The ghost was a westerner, just like Henry Blake. The ghost had read the stories written by the Thin Shrine Maiden and wanted to talk over something the ghost had in mind.

"A TV Show? Based off of our railway?" said the Scarlet Controller.

"Yes. We would do it with models, I did a similar thing back in England." replied the ghost.

"The only station for TV is where the tengu live." said Nitori.

"Then we'd just set up the models there."

Yukari and Yuyuko were having a side conversation, whilst Nitori and Remilia talked to the ghost.

"Then one day, the ghost just came here."

"Wow Yuyuko, so a westerner just showed up here?"

"Pretty much."

"What's the ghost's name."

"I don't know."

Yuyuko called for the ghost's attention and then asked what his name was. The ghost replied.

"David Mitton."

"What kind of name is that? It sounds like a piece of clothing." said Yukari

"I know, but this ghost says he used to be a director and that he could make a TV show." replied Yuyuko.

"But they'd have to talk to that Thin Shrine Maiden, whoever she is. She's the one who writes all these stories in the first place."

"But do you think the show would turn out good if he went ahead?"

"I don't know, I think it be fun. Chen might like it."

They talked things over with the ghost and the ghost soon had the permission needed, all he needed to do ask the Thin Shrine Maiden for the use of her stories.


	2. Chrysanthemum

Kiyoshi and Ahiru arrived at one of the platforms of the big station. They were worried about what would happen to Ichihiro and his branch line since he had been sent away to be repaired after his accident with the stationmaster's house. The Scarlet Controller waited for the two tank engines, behind her was a diesel railcar.

"Who is that?" asked Kiyoshi.

"This is Chrysanthemum."

"Just call me Chrys." the diesel interjected

"Err...Chrys. She's a diesel railcar, she'll be working on Ichihiro's branch line for the time being."

"Will she stay, sir?" Kiyoshi asked again.

"That depends on how well she works. I expect you two to welcome her and help her settle on our railway." the Scarlet Controller said.

The two engines agreed and showed the BR Class 104 to the small engine shed in the yard. Her look of disgust surprised the other engines.

"This shed is dreadfully smelly and anything smelly is bad for my swerves." Chrys said snobbishly.

Kiyoshi and Ahiru were angry but they took her to the carriage shed, Chrys was delighted.

"This is more like it. But I do say, what is that rubbish over there." she said.

Ani and Kuraraberu were at the other side of the shed, they were horrified.

"We're not 'rubbish'! Who would dare call us that!" they said.

Ahiru and Kiyoshi spent the rest of the day soothing hurt feelings.

The next morning, Kiyoshi and Ahiru were exhausted. Chrys woke up, he was full of energy and was ready to get her day started. She pulled up to the platform, ready to take her passengers.

"Look at me! I'am the latest diesel, highly sprung, and right up-to-date. You won't want to ride Ichihiro's bumpy old Ani and Kuraraberu now, would you?" she wooed the passengers.

"I'm a diesel fit for the emperor!" she thought to herself.

The passengers waited for her to start but she doesn't. She soon found out that a tank truck was being coupled to her.

"Do _they_ expect _me_ to pull _that_?!"

"Surely you can pull one truck." said her driver.

"I won't! Kiyoshi can do it! He loves messing about with trucks."

She began to shudder violently.

"Nonsense! Come on now. Back down!"

Chrys violently lurched backwards and blew a fuse.

The passengers began to argue loudly, but it was no good.

"It's fitter's orders!" she finally said.

"What is?" her driver replied.

"My fitter's a nice kappa. She comes every week and examines me carefully. 'Chrysanthemum', she says, 'Never, never pull. You're highly sprung, and pulling is bad for your swerves'. So that's how it is." Chrys stated.

The stationmaster had arrived to see what the matter was.

" _Mono ya nansensu_!" he said.

Another station staff member had joined in on the commotion.

"I can't understand. Whatever made Remilia send us such a feeble-" she was interrupted by Chrys.

"Feeble? FEEBLE?! Let me tell you, you _baka_!"

One of the passengers finally had it with the stuck-up railcar.

"Stop arguing! We're late already!"

She was uncoupled from the tank truck and she chuckled to herself.

"That's a good story. I'll do just what work I choose and no more." but she said it to herself.


	3. Bulls Eyes

On railways were animals stray onto the line, an engine with cowcatchers and sideplates would be able to prevent the animals from getting hurt if they didn't get out of the way in time. In Gensokyo, this was much less an issue as the engines had more trouble with spell card duels happening on the tracks, as such the railway had no use for a engine with said equipment, not that Japan has any native steam trams to begin with. But Chrys thinks these kinds of objects are silly and make an engine look ridiculous.

"But I think they might be useful." said Ahiru to her.

"Useful for what? They make an engine look ugly and the very thought of an engine having them is bad for my swerves." Chrys said.

"Suit yourself." said Ahiru, rolling his eyes.

"If I had to meet an animal, I'd look them straight into their eyes and they'll just run away!"

"Including bulls."

"Even bulls, Ahiru."

"Whatever." Ahiru had no patience to argue with Chrys anymore and had to pick up his next train.

Hours went by and Chrys was doing whatever work she chose to do, but a railway worker came up to her to relay a message she got from one of the signalwomen.

"A stray bull is on the line, can you get it off the track?" she asked.

"Well of course I can!" Chrys replied.

"I'll show that Ahiru that I _can_ shoo away any animal." she talked to herself.

Chanpion wasn't a fierce bull, in fact he's a kind sort. But today, he was cross: he had jumped his fence and slithered down a hill and onto the line. He just about to eat some grass when Chrys showed up. He tooted her horn at the bull and stared down at him, but it was no good. She tried multiple times, each less successful than the last. Chanpion just ignored her. This worried Chrys as the bull wasn't running away like she liked to.

"Are you getting unnerved?" her driver asked.

"N-n-no! I'm not." she lied.

Chanpion became curious of the diesel and walked toward her and sniffed her. Chrys had enough of this and went back to the station. By the time she got there, word had got out to Ahiru that she was wrong about being able to scare away any animal.

"I'll get him for you." he said as she pulled in.

"A bull would runaway from you, you said." he joked.

Chrys was too indignant to let it get to her.

Ahiru tried whistling at the bull, but he blew steam at the bull and the bull left, he was later reunited by his owner and was brought back home to his pasture.

Later that evening, some fairies decided to play a joke on Chrys. She pulled up to the platform, wanting the day to end. However, Cirno was the first to talk.

"Look at what I have here, I have 'Bulls Eyes', would you like some?"

"You can keep _your_ bulls eyes to _yourself_!"

Chrys had enough and went back to the carriage shed, annoyed with the day's events.


	4. Kiyoshi's Predicament

Chrys' time on the Gensokyo Railway was going badly, not only was she afraid of cattle, but she remains lazy, stubborn, and refuses to do any job she doesn't want to do.

Kiyoshi was busy shunting trucks when Ahiru came up to him.

"It seems that Chrysanthemum forgot to take that tanker over there."

"Yeah, I know. I'm going to have to make a special trip with it." Kiyoshi said.

"I'll take the tanker if you can get my trucks at the harbor."

"Sure, thanks."

Their crews agreed to the arrangement and Kiyoshi set off to pick up the trucks. The trucks were full of stone and were heavy, he enjoyed bumping the trucks into order before leaving. He took the trucks and made his way back to the yard. The couplings on the trucks were uneven, but no one noticed this. It became apparent when Kiyoshi came across a sign that read "All engines stop to pin down brakes".

Kiyoshi whistled for the guard to pin down the brakes in the brake van, but the trucks jerked about and the weight pushed Kiyoshi and knocked the guard off his feet. His driver tried to wrestle control of the train, but they couldn't! Kiyoshi charged past a signalbox, but the signalwoman was too late in setting up the trap points to safely derail the train.

"Help! Help!" he cried.

But she went into the yard and went towards the back of a goods train, he shut his eyes. He plowed right through the brake van, destroying and crashed on top of a truck. Kiyoshi was stuck on his perch.

The next day, Ahiru and Chrys helped to clean up the wreck. The Scarlet Controller was overseeing the operation. He began talking to Kiyoshi.

"We must now try. To run the Eientei branch with only two engines."

"You have put us in a awkward predicament." she said.

"I'm sorry, sir." replied Kiyoshi.

"You can stay there until we are ready. Hopefully, that can teach to be careful with trucks."

A breeze blew and made Kiyoshi's truck sway lightly, he knew a thing or two about "awkward predicaments".

She turned her attention to Chrys and spoke severely.

"My engines work hard! I send lazy engines away."

Chrysanthemum was ashamed of herself.

"But Ahiru said you worked hard after Kiyoshi's accident, so I'll give you another chance."

"Thank you sir!" said Chrys.

"I will work hard sir, Ahiru said he'll help me."

"What Ahiru doesn't know about branch line problems is not worth knowing. Our Ahiru is an experienced engine!" The Scarlet Controller said.

The next day, Ichihiro came back and Kiyoshi was sent away to be mended. Ani and Kurarberu were delighted and Ichihiro took them for a run at once. Chrys learned a lot from Ahiru and even shooed a cow off the line all by herself, that definitely shows you.


	5. Washout!

A bad rainstorm was working its way through Gensokyo. Strong winds blew debris all around, fewer trains ran as streams overflowed and flooded the rails. All the engines were in the big shed in Kappa Valley.

"When will this storm ever stop?" said Hiroto.

"Maybe tomorrow?" replied Kenta.

"I hate having to catch up on the work left by this stupid reduced schedule." Akemi complained.

"Its not going to be that bad, is it?" said Kiyoshi.

The engines contemplated the next day's events and what the weather would be like. The engines got their answer the next morning when the rain had stopped. The clouds were still overcast, but the engines were just glad it wasn't raining. The trains returned to normal, all except for the trains that were on the Sanzu branch line as the river's water level had risen and the line needed to be inspected, Chrys took the inspection team to check the line.

Days had pasted and now it was sunny again, Ahiru stopped by where Kiyoshi is and talked to him.

"Hey Kiyoshi! I heard the Sanzu is back to normal."

"Good, I was wondering when we would be taking trains there again."

Soon, it was time for Kiyoshi to take the next train to the Sanzu Resort. The train had some curious humans and youkai who wanted to the place a try and thus the train was fuller than usual. The guard blew her whistle and waved her flag, it was time to go. Kiyoshi pulled the train out and headed off.

"Come on! Come on!" he said, moving what to him was a heavy train.

When Kiyoshi finally got to where the track ran parallel to the river, he called to one of the tugboats, it was Bushido pulling a loaded barge.

"How's business?" called Kiyoshi.

"Slow as a _baka_. But things are picking up now that the storm is over." said Bushido.

Kiyoshi was approaching the area where the track runs closest to the river. But what the inspection crew didn't take not was that the soil was wet and loose, this meant that the heavier trains would pass over and squish the soil and move the soil. Kiyoshi ran over the unsafe track, the ground groaned and just as the last axle passed. The ground avalanched into the Sanzu, ballast spilling onto the riverbank. The right side rail bent, the rails became a tightrope across a gap big enough for an the engine to tip over and fall cab over wheels. Kiyoshi didn't know about this until he got to the station. The stationmaster broke the news.

"The track did what?" said Kiyoshi in disbelief.

"It gave way and no one can cross that bit of rail." said the stationmaster.

"But they said it was safe!"

"Safe for Chrysanthemum to pass by at a tenth of her capacity not a train full of heavy passengers and goods."

"But how will the passengers get ho-" a thought popped into Kiyoshi's head.

"What if any of the tugboats got the passengers to the other side of the track?"

"That never passed through my mind, I'll relay that idea to the harbor."

The plan was set, the two coaches that Kiyoshi took would be put on one of the rail barges used for the china clay trucks and Mob Cap would take them to one of the docks that were big enough for the passengers to disembark and catch a train from there.

"Finally! I get to have passengers for a change!" Mob Cap exclaimed with glee.

The coaches were loaded onto the barge and Ten Yen helped arrange the barge so Mob Cap could take it to the dock. Things went well, albeit the thought of passengers on the Sanzu _not_ being dead baffled Komachi and Eiki. It was wasn't long until Mob Cap parked the barge by the side of the port and the passenger disembarked. Chrys was there to pick up the passengers, she had an extra coach so she could take all the passengers. The Kiyoshi and his coaches were stuck in the harbor until the the track could be fixed and the ground was reinforced. He shunted trucks in the mean time.

A week went by before Shiro came to the harbor to pick up some trucks and to tell Kiyoshi that the track was fixed. A stone wall was built along the parts of track that were susceptible to the ground giving out. Kiyoshi was glad that it was over, for him, it was all a big wash!


	6. Epilogue

Upon getting permission from the Thin Shrine Maiden, David Mitton got to work. Aya let him use a disused soundstage and Momiji helped him build the models. A week went by and the Scarlet Controller and the Thin Shrine Maiden visited them, the project had grown to include some more tengus and David was painted the small scale figurine of Reimu Hakurei when they entered the studio.

"How is the show progressing?" asked the Scarlet Controller.

"Great!" said David.

"Want to see any of the engines?"

"Sure."

David brought the Scarlet Controller to the model of the Kappa Valley area of the railway and placed the model of Ichihiro onto the track. It lacked a face and the eye mechanism showed. David placed a molded face onto the engine and used a remote controller to move the eyes. The model's eyes twirled around and made the engine look excited. Its blue paint shined in the light.

"What's this?" said the Scarlet Controller, picking up a figurine that resembled her.

"Its you, Remilia. Your in the show too."

"And who else?"

"Anyone in the Thin Shrine Maiden's stories. Like Reimu and Marisa, Alice, Yukari, and that green haired woman."

"You mean Sanae?"

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

"I can't wait to see your results." said the Thin Shrine Maiden.

"I expect the accuracy in your show to be the same in my writing."

David Mitton gulped and braced himself, he then mentioned that the first season would be 13 episodes long with two stories each.

"I haven't picked a narrator yet and I got some stock footage filmed."

"Great, we'll check upon you later." said the Scarlet Controller.

The two women left, leaving David to resume his work on the figurines.

"Where can I find a narrator?" he mumbled to himself as he painted Reimu's sleeve.


End file.
